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Stilton now the official birthplace of the famous cheese
After months of research delving into the history of one of Britain's greatest cheeses, the village of Stilton near Peterborough can finally lay claim to the famous blue veined cheese of the same name.
After months of research delving into the history of one of Britain's greatest cheeses, the village of Stilton near Peterborough can finally lay claim to the famous blue veined cheese of the same name.Since January, local historian Richard Landy has challenged officials at the Stilton Cheese Makers Association (SCMA) over revelations that Stilton is in fact the birthplace of the cheese.
And today, residents in the south Peterborough village are celebrating a breakthrough after secretary of the SCMA Nigel White confirmed on yesterday's The Food Programme on Radio Four, that Stilton was not only named after the village because it was first sold there, but it was also produced there.
Celebrations were in full swing across Stilton yesterday, including at the Bell Inn where regulars marked the historic occasion with a plaque naming the Inn as "the birthplace of Stilton cheese".
Mr Landy said: "It is nice to have confirmation that Stilton is now the village that created the cheese.
"It has taken a long time and a lot of research to get this result, but it now means Stilton is firmly on the map, and the cheese map."
Mr White said that as a result of the findings, all official SCMA resources will be amended to reflect the latest information on Stilton's heritage.
"Although a cheese called Stilton was produced in the village, we believe that the finished product would bear very little resemblance to the blue Stilton cheese produced in modern times," he said.
"We now think that production ceased in the area in the second half of the 18th century as it moved to Leicestershire.
"No one person invented Stilton it evolved over time from this pressed cooked cheese to the cheese we have today – an unpressed, semi-hard, blue veined cheese.
"There are still many missing links within Stilton's history and we appreciate all the work that the villagers of Stilton have put into this research."
Mr Landy said the challenge came following the discovery of a letter which specifically states that Stliton was produced in the village, that the man at the sign of the Bell made the best cheese he had in town and the man of that house kept strictly to the old recipe. He said: "From that we can determine that this is the earliest reference to Stilton cheese being made in the village and it also provides a recipe." Stilton cheese is protected by EU legislation, with only seven dairies in Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire licensed to make the product, however, Mr Landy also hopes to challenge the licences now Stilton is officially the cheese's birthplace.
Festival bid:
Villagers are now looking to hold an annual Port and Stilton festival – as new research reveals the village is also linked with the fortified wine.
Historian Richard Landy said: "In 1751, a ship is recorded in Lloyd's list as sailing between Shoreham and Oporto which was called Stilton Hero.
"Cooper Thornhill was the famous 18th century landlord of the Bell Inn Stilton. In his own day, he became internationally famous for his riding skills and for his non-stop ride, on April 29, 1745, from Stilton to London – back to Stilton and returning again to London, 213 miles in 11 hours 34 minutes. A broadsheet poem was written to commemorate his amazing feat and was called the Stilton Hero.
"He died in 1759, so the ship of the same name was sailing within his lifetime."
The name Stilton has been associated with cheese since at least the early 18th century and today over one million Stiltons are produced every year.
Blue Stilton cheese and White Stilton cheese are both Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) granted by the EU in 1996.
There are only six dairies licensed to make Blue Stilton.
Stilton can only be made from pasteurised cows milk and is allowed to ripen for at least 9 weeks, during which time it is pierced several times to encourage the growth of Penicillium roqueforti mould. Each Stilton cheese weighs about 7.5 kg and requires 72 litres of milk. Blue Stilton is the UK's most popular blue cheese.
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